Blog Tesla Bot Prototype Coming in 2022

Tesla announced Thursday at its “AI Day” that it will build a “Tesla Bot” as soon as 2022.

Chief Executive Elon Musk said the human-like robot will be able to complete tasks that are “boring, dangerous, repetitive jobs that people don’t want to do.”

A Tesla Bot was on display at the event, but as a joke the company put a person in a suit designed to look like Tesla Bot to dance on stage. “Tesla Bot will be real,” Musk said.

Musk said the top goal of Tesla Bot was to make it safe.

“It’s intended to be a friend, of course,” Musk said.

The robot will be 5 feet 8 inches tall and 125 pounds. The head of the robot will include a screen to display useful information. Tesla says the robot will have “human-level hands.” The robot’s top speed will be about 5 MPH.

“At a physical level you can run away from it and most likely overpower it,” Musk said.

The robot leverages the technology developed for its Autopilot feature in its vehicles. The system includes eight cameras and the same computer found in Tesla cars.

The company did not offer any details on pricing for the robot.

 

[David.85D]

So glad that Full Self Driving is finished and the AI team can turn to more important projects

 

[dramsey]

Why would Tesla suddenly dive into consumer, humanoid bots? At least I assume it's aimed at the consumer market, since it's "intended to be a friend."

I imagine that this will follow the same path as FSD:

1. Make grandiose claims: robot will be able to unload and put away groceries from your car, as well as play grandmaster-level chess. And babysit.
2. Take deposits for robot.
3. Several years late, initial robots are delivered. The "human level" hands have a thumb and two fingers; Elon explains that "hands are harder than we thought. Just look at how hard they are to draw!" They can't walk up or down stairs, but do routinely walk into walls. That's OK, though, because they receive software updates automatically, over the air. First update improves the robot's capability of picking up an egg, which it can now do without breaking the egg more than 80% of the time.
4. Updates add bizarre features that nobody wanted, but get a lot of YouTube time: robot makes loud farting noise when sitting down. "Chill mode" makes robot glance at you, then ignore you, when you give it a command. Robot can play Netflix and Hulu content on its facial screen.
5. A special, limited cadre of influencers gets the "robot can babysit" update. Putting the robot in babysitting mode displays a warning that you're responsible for the baby AT ALL TIMES. Nonetheless many users simply leave the baby alone with the robot, and record what happens with a nanny cam. The resulting YouTube videos range from hilarious to horrifying. There are fatalities.
6. Elon promises general availability of babysitting functions "In a couple of weeks". Months later, Elon says that this will actually come in new, completely re-written from the group up babysitting code V10. Or maybe V11.
7. And that's as far as I can take this, feature parity with FSD!

 

[linux-works]

re-use of the 'AI tech'

but really, that's not even close to a ready to divert attention and funds away from the car business.

are all the bugs fixed? are enough service centers built in all states? charging stations for the new non-T's that will come in? how about making parts so that people dont wait weeks for a repair? maybe build extra cars so that you can give loaners?

no. none of that.

lets build stupid robots that are just marketing.

how many people are on this? how much funds that could be used in real world, today-problems, with the cars?

he constantly bites off more than he can chew.

I just wish he'd put all that energy toward THIS field. cars. and get the body panels right, the build quality right, all the boring things that other vendors figured out. too boring for you, elon?

time for him to retire and let someone focused, take over.

 

[M3LRAWD3C]

Why would Tesla suddenly dive into consumer, humanoid bots? At least I assume it's aimed at the consumer market, since it's "intended to be a friend."

I imagine that this will follow the same path as FSD:

totally agree, another bluffing product as FSD.

 

[Akikiki]

Ya think we will be able to get it in Multi-Coat Red with 21"?

Just having a little fun.

 

[M3LRAWD3C]

Pearl White Multi-Coat
Included

 

[dazedNconfuzed]

I figure it’s mostly a joke with just enough substance to put a few AI engineers on It and see what happens. The handwringing is overwrought. The guy is building reusable Saturn V class rockets in tents on a beach in Texas, has monkeys playing Pong with their minds, and has cars driving themselves - why not build androids too?

 

[linux-works]

he's stretched too thin and his company (the car one, the one I care about) is failing. slowly, but its failing. I dont think it will get to level 5 with the current hardware, no matter what magic sw they throw at it. the cameras are too distorted and the stitch looks to have too many gaps and its just not sufficient - they need an order of magnitude more in almost everything.

typical ADHD guy; he's all over the place, to a detriment.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

There will be some who immediately start quoting that Musk has never failed to deliver (he's just very late on a few promises).

But the challengs with robots have never really been about AI, computers have been doing complex tasks for years. The challenges have been about sensing, movement and dexterity. I am fearing my old age when the "Humanoid Vision Control System" has a malfunction while using cameras to determine if they're squeezing a little too hard while taking care of my personal hygiene needs. Or is that too much information?

 

[philw1776]

What the Tesla Bot announcement does is help attract & motivate the best and brightest AI developers. Tesla's FSD quest needs them. Just like "we're going to Mars!" has attracted and motivated young bright engineers and technicians to join SpaceX since last decade, the Bot aspirational target will help hordes of top capability engineers work 24/7 with their hair on fire. Maybe even get an FSD release worth having. I hope so.
IF the Bot eventually works out I expect eldercare assistance to be a huge application.

 

[CyberShy]

The "human level" hands have a thumb and two fingers; Elon explains that "hands are harder than we thought. Just look at how hard they are to draw!"

I’m sorry, but that is hilarious.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

What the Tesla Bot announcement does is help attract & motivate the best and brightest AI developers. Tesla's FSD quest needs them. Just like "we're going to Mars!" has attracted and motivated young bright engineers and technicians to join SpaceX since last decade, the Bot aspirational target will help hordes of top capability engineers work 24/7 with their hair on fire. Maybe even get an FSD release worth having. I hope so.
IF the Bot eventually works out I expect eldercare assistance to be a huge application.

I think many have reached the point where they feel Musk needs to stop starting new initiatives and actually finish some. The more cynical still would look to this as deflection from some of the issues they are having with FSD and rather than being "almost there" the news seems to be "we're still a year away at least". I was disheartened to hear stories of recent problems such as the cameras are not all calibrated the same int he car so they've been having to do work to align the images, surely this was all known about years ago and woul dhave been a day one problem to solve. No wonder we get phantom braking if objects weren't seemlessly passing from camera to the next and so suddenly appearing out the blue.

But back to the robot, AI has little to do with this problem Robots have been around for year and having the basic dexterity to walk up a set of stairs has been incredibly difficult to solve by some of the biggest brains in universities around the world. The notion that everything is solvable by AI is a failing to understnad the external challenges that also need to be overcome. In just the same way FSD can be defeated by condensation blinding a camera, we've a yet to be discovered set of issues for the robot to be overcome.

 

[Tnuc3lon]

Since this isn't possible is this tesla jumping the shark or a joke? I work in this space so... Wtf???

 

[linux-works]

when you cant solve engineering problems, you ....

... entertain?

yeah, shark moment. embarassing for tesla. cringe worthy, as many have said.

he looked totally tired and he should REALLY know when to quit when he's ahead.

a smart man knows when its time to hand over the reigns.

 

[jabloomf1230]

he's stretched too thin and his company (the car one, the one I care about) is failing.

No, the company is expanding into areas where its expertise is strong. If the "car company" is failing, what is your opinion of other automobile manufacturers? Are they all failing?

 

[cwerdna]

I think many have reached the point where they feel Musk needs to stop starting new initiatives and actually finish some. The more cynical still would look to this as deflection from some of the issues they are having with FSD and rather than being "almost there" the news seems to be "we're still a year away at least". I was disheartened to hear stories of recent problems such as the cameras are not all calibrated the same int he car so they've been having to do work to align the images, surely this was all known about years ago and woul dhave been a day one problem to solve. No wonder we get phantom braking if objects weren't seemlessly passing from camera to the next and so suddenly appearing out the blue.

Indeed. There are numerous articles and lists where they've compiled all sorts of missed Elon dates on autonomy, robotaxis, etc. but this easy to remember site has a great compilation. Here's a few on that subject.

Elon Musk Today - nope
Elon Musk Today - nope
Elon Musk Today - still hasn't happened

how about making parts so that people dont wait weeks for a repair?

Indeed... remember, he said this over 2.5 years ago: Elon Musk Today.

 

[Watts_Up]

Elon Musk reminds us all that 'a bunch of people will probably die' going to Mars so better to send Bots !!!

 

[linux-works]

No, the company is expanding into areas where its expertise is strong. If the "car company" is failing, what is your opinion of other automobile manufacturers? Are they all failing?

not talking about other car makers. the new breed are ALL different. the old ford/gm/etc are the old breed. they have a lot in common, but the new guys are all unique.

we're talking about tesla. and I care about how well supported and well designed this set of cars is.

I'm not here for rockets or pipe dreams or tunnels. I'm here for cars.

and he's neglecting a LOT of his car business.

he's spreading himself and his money too thin. do just one or two things WELL. is that asking too much?

 

[Two-rocks]

I’m going to incorporate a fleshlight into mine.